Best Companies to Work For: Limeade

Ever stepped into a building with no windows? It feels stifling, right? You feel blinded and are left unaware of what's going on in the outside world.

Well, that's how employees feel like when their organization lacks transparency. They feel like they're being kept in the dark.

Meet ...

Limeade is all about promoting health, well-being, and performance for employees. And they know a thing or two about organizational culture: they were voted #14 on Fortune's list of Great Places to Work and even #1 in Washington State. So how do they enhance an already-amazing culture?

Director of Culture and Well-being, Amy Patton, explains:

"At Limeade, it's really important that we hire people that align with our values. We started pulsing because we found that it was critical to stay aligned and getting ongoing feedback from our employees to make sure that they know that we care and that they're being heard in ways that we can improve our culture."

Two-Way Transparency

Creating a transparent organizational culture doesn't just stop at the leadership team being open about what's going on in the company. In order to truly foster transparency, employees have to be open with their communication as well.

As Patton admits, "It's hard to get that transparent feedback from your employees."

The company had recently moved its headquarters, so she turned to anonymous feedback to find out what features would make the employees happy at their new space. She received answers that ranged from themed conference rooms to a gym. And although each individual request seemed small, they all add up to create a culture where employees can make a difference in their organization.

"You don't feel like you're ever out of touch. You always feel like you're connected within each group or as a company," says Patton. Once employees know they're being heard, they will continue to speak.